Published 5:30 am, Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Kelvin Sampson, seen in 2008, was a head coach at Oklahoma and Indiana before two stints as an NBA assistant.

Kelvin Sampson, seen in 2008, was a head coach at Oklahoma and Indiana before two stints as an NBA assistant.

Photo: Associated Press File

Rockets to hire Kelvin Sampson as lead assistant coach

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More than two months after Kelvin Sampson interviewed for the Rockets’ coaching job that eventually went to Kevin McHale, Sampson ended up on the Rockets’ bench anyway.

McHale picked Sampson to be his lead assistant, a person with knowledge of the decision said Tuesday, with the Rockets reaching agreements in principle to hire Sampson and Timberwolves assistant J.B. Bickerstaff to join McHale’s staff. The Rockets had previously promoted Rio Grande Valley Vipers coach Chris Finch from their NBA Development League affiliate.

Sampson, the former Oklahoma and Indiana coach who was one of the first candidates interviewed for the Rockets’ head coaching position, was expected to be considered for the Detroit Pistons’ and Minnesota Timberwolves’ head coaching jobs.

Sampson on Tuesday declined to comment on the decision or his interest in the assistant coaching position but did say he learned a great deal about the Rockets organization in his 14-hour interview, comparing it to taking the ACT and SAT back-to-back.

Limited NBA background

“When you go through something like that, you learn a lot about the organization and about yourself, too,” Sampson said. “It was good. It was an interesting process. Those guys have a very good idea what they’re looking for. A huge part of being a head coach in the NBA is being prepared.”

Sampson left Indiana in February 2008 after being charged with five NCAA rules violations for excessive phone calls and text messages to recruits and failing to be forthcoming about the violations. He became a special assistant with the San Antonio Spurs for the rest of the season before joining Scott Skiles’ Milwaukee Bucks staff.

Family business

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Bickerstaff has been a Minnesota assistant for four seasons, including during McHale’s second stint as Timberwolves coach. Timberwolves president David Kahn on Tuesday said Bickerstaff “is close” to signing with the Rockets but that he is still talking with him. He said Bickerstaff is “probably not” a candidate for the Timberwolves’ vacant head coaching position.

Bickerstaff’s father, Bernie, has been a head coach of four NBA teams and is on the Portland Trail Blazers’ staff. The Timberwolves have asked for permission to interview Bernie Bickerstaff for their head coaching position, prompting speculation that J.B. Bickerstaff could be groomed to succeed his father.

Turner headed to Suns

Bickerstaff was an assistant under his father for three seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats before becoming assistant coach/director of player development with the Timberwolves. He had been a director of basketball operations at the University of Minnesota, McHale’s alma mater, before joining the Timberwolves as a radio analyst for the 2003-04 season.

Rockets director of player development Brett Gunning will return from last season’s staff. The Rockets could add another player development coach later in the summer, but that has not been determined.